November 28, 2016 - Week 2 in Peru!

This week has been great... After I realized I could eat more every morning and night. So there was a little miscommunication with me, so I thought I had only a few soles for breakfast and dinner. That's not the case. I was eating light the first week here haha. That's alright. Now I have some extras, so I can snack more if needed!

American Trunky Stuff: I keep seeing movie posters for "Fantastic Beasts" and "Moana". Definitely movies I'll have to watch when I get home! I also heard David Archuleta's "Glorious" on our music payer at our home. It was on my companion's SD card. Reminded me of his concert. Also, every time I hear planes (which is a lot) I always think "That'll be me in 2 years!" Gotta stop that mindset haha. Peru is great. I'm not quite ready to go home yet.

I'm pretty sure there was a marching band outside too one day, or music playing in someone's car going really slow. We heard it in our apartment, but couldn't go out to see because we're on the 5th floor and it was during companionship study. 

I also gave my first blessing of the sick in Spanish to my companion this week! It was a bit hard, but cool at the same time. The Priesthood is such a blessing to have. While my companion was sick, it felt like a long day in the apartment, but on the bright side, it gave me lots of time to study and draw and write letters!

We had intercambios (transfers, exchanges) this week twice. So I was with  new companions (Elder Castro and Elder Kennedy) for 6 hours each day for 2 days this week. Nice to get new experiences with other companions. Bit nervewracking when They came to our area, because then I had to do the leading and I don't know the area well, but we had lessons still! Good experience.

We didn't really do much for Thanksgiving, but I had lots to be thankful for! This are I'm in is really nice. Not too many problems. Only really "major" thing is today our water was cold for my shower, and then it kinda shut off for a while. And we had our first cockroach in our apartment. That was gross. Glad it wasn't rats like other missionaries have had to deal with.

I'm very greatful for someone in our ward named Luis. He always gives us food, even if we don't need it. We have so much for dinner now, lots of bread cheese and meat. He's amazing. He's partially italian too, so just imaging this nice guy who always gives us hugs and buys us food. He's amazing.

One of my favorite foods is Causa. It's like potato salad almost, but in a loaf form. So great. I wasn't prepared for how much food we get here. Yesterday we had a lunch appointment, where we had Fideos a la huancaina (noodles, chicken, sauce) and then a dinner appointment 2 hours later, where each plate was like a full meal. First we had a huge bowl of soup, then Causa, then another plate of noodles and chicken (which i couldnt even start because i was so full), then a bowl of fruit. I'm gonna be a lot bigger than I want when I get home... haha. I'll exercise a lot to make sure that doesn't happen.

We've had many spiritual experiences too. We taught someone at the dinner appointment who didn't really want to hear our message, but we just started having a conversation with him about his beliefs and it turned into a lesson, and by the end, he had questions and accepted another lesson, and even said yes to baptism if he felt our church was true! The spirit works in mysterious ways. I felt the spirit so strongly though, and I shared a simple but powerful testimony after that I hope had an effect.

We also had another lesson with someone whose family didn't really want to hear the gospel, but she did, and has talked to missionaries before. We all felt the spirit so strongly. She really wants lots in life, and it's all stuff the gospel can bring. There were some tears. 
      She's also an English teacher who has a brother in Utah for school right now. Nice to hear some English haha.

Funny story: I was I think electrocuted by the Electric shower head water heater. I was just reaching my arm up, and I didn't mean to, but I guess my arm touched it because I felt a little vibration on my arm that was powerful but didn't hurt too much. Glad it wasn't bad. I guess my companion touched it with his head once and only saw in black and white for a little bit. Crazy!

Hope you all are doing well! Crazy that in one week I'll hit the 2 month mark! I love it here in San Miguel, Peru

Con mucho amor,

Elder Bruner

Peruvian sunset from the roof of an apartment

Elder Kennedy and I during our intercambios, also on the roof of the same apartment building.



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